Charlotte Street Foundation identifies the needs and fuels the evolution of an ever-changing multidisciplinary arts ecosystem, acting as its primary provocateur. We cultivate the contemporary, the exceptional, and the unexpected in the practice of artists working in and engaging with the Kansas City Art Community

The Withdrawal…

The first two months of my residency were spent completing a new work for wind ensemble and electronics: Between Glimpses of Blue. It was a huge leap for me artistically by pushing me to write a single piece for both genres, and professionally as the piece was commissioned by a consortium of 15 college, university, and high school ensembles. After five months of composing almost every single day and being in such a creative groove, it all came crashing to a halt. What followed was roughly a month of light depression and, strangely, guilt. I call this The Withdrawal. To me the most exciting time of the creative process is when you’ve found the way/path/form/etc. that a work will take, as if the preverbal light in is now on at the other end of the tunnel. So when everything is finished rather than having a sense of accomplishment, it’s like something was taken from me. I’ve shared this story with friends, family, and some of my fellow residents, and the consensus was that The Withdrawal is normal for many creative-types and that it soon passes. Eventually curiosity replaces The Withdrawal, and the creative process begins again.

I’m looking forward to sharing several performances in Kansas City, the Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest in the coming months here on the CSF Studio blog. There are also a couple ideas I have bouncing around once again that I’ll be sharing soon!